Chelios' Restaurant Has Plenty Of Adult Supervision

When Gus and Sue Chelios moved back to Chicago in 1993 after 17 years in San Diego, they had visions of relaxation and countless visits from grandchildren -- the good life, indeed.

"And now I'm a floor scrubber," says Sue with a laugh. "I hardly see my grandkids."

Technically, Sue's title at Cheli's Chili, the restaurant her hockey-playing son Chris opened on Jan. 21, 1994, goes a bit beyond floor scrubber. Sue is general manager of the sports bar and restaurant, located at 1137 W. Madison St.

And while Cheli's Chili most likely will never become the must-see tourist stop for hungry sports fans along the lines of Michael Jordan's or Harry Caray's, Gus and Sue, both life-long restaurateurs, have infused their place with a charm and easy-going atmosphere that makes for a pleasant night out. Plus, they serve a mean bowl of chili.

"There have been some rough times," admits Sue. "But the restaurant is doing fine now."

Chris opened the restaurant with a business partner, but quickly handed the day-to-day operation over to his parents and Penny Chelios, one of his three sisters. Penny serves as assistant manager. Chris dropped out of the business altogether in May 1996, at the time saying, "I'm giving the restaurant to my mom and dad. They can run it."

Gus and Sue weren't surprised by that development. What did surprise them was that Chris even entered the restaurant business in the first place.

"He hated restaurants as a kid," says Gus, an affable man who moved to Evergreen Park from Greece in 1951. "Probably because I made him work in mine and he didn't get paid. Plus, I was a little hard on him."

Gus and Sue owned seven restaurants and three bars over the years, five restaurants in Chicago and two in San Diego. Those include some now-defunct but classic places like Suzette's on State Street, which Gus opened in 1956, the Blue Note Lounge at 103rd and Halsted, which opened in 1963 and Grecian Mist, which eventually beget The Parthenon.

The Chelioses moved to San Diego in the late 70s and, shortly thereafter, Gus and Sue retired from the restaurant business. "I found myself working double shifts instead of single shifts," Gus says.

But being retired and being away from family proved too much, so Gus and Sue moved back to Chicago. And, after 12 years of retirement, they found themselves back in the business.

Cheli's Chili is a huge space, with one room serving as an eating area or place for private parties, another room full of pool tables and video games and a third room housing a more traditional bar. Hockey paraphernalia, most of it featuring Chris, dominates the interior.

Crowds are largest after home Hawks games, but a steady clientele frequents both before home games and during away games, since most games are televised via satellite.

"It's just a fun place to watch a game," says Jim Brewer, in from the suburbs to watch a recent away game on television. "Plus, sometimes you can see Hawk players in here."

That includes Chris, who still occasionally stops by to help out or holds various charity functions at the restaurant. He has even been spotted tending bar at the establishment during the summers.

"But for the most part, it's my parents' hobby," Chelios says now. "Actually, I keep trying to get them to sell it."

Sue bristles at this thought: "He keeps telling us to sell it, but how do you do that? We worked hard to get it to this point."